The launch of the Blade Runner saw by Rockwell International was accompanied by a TV infomercial. That led many to expect too much, and turned away a lot of woodworkers. And that resulted in a good number of unfavorable assessments. True, there are some limitations — it’s actually not the miracle tool you might expect from the infomercial. Even acknowledging the restrictions you probably will still find it a good tool meant for home BLADE FORGE jobs.
Some Saw Sense
Even restricting our scope to the usually used power saws still leaves us with several different types to cover. Many households have an electric drill, and quite a few have a jig saw (also known as a saber saw). Looking a little like a hand mixer, these saws use a short blade towards the front which goes up and down as driven by a Folding Knives Australia motor.
More powerful saws utilize rigidly attached blades. They may sit on the workbench or directly on the floor. Table saws are quite common. They have a large flat work surface (the table) and cut using a spinning round saw blade. Much like the Blade runner, they have a work surface with miter guage and fence for making straight cuts. Another common power tool, the band saw, typically sits on the floor and stands 5 feet high or taller. To keep the blade straight and aligned, these types of saws work with a blade that is a continuous loop. It’s held taut by two large pulleys. For curved cuts, a scroll saw is often used. These saws look a lot like the Bladerunner. But scroll saw blades are thinner for tighter curves, and are connected at both ends for better precision.
The Blade Runner
Mounting a jig saw beneath a work surface, the Bladerunner looks and works a lot like a scroll saw. Since it’s not a hand-held jig saw, you’ll have both hands free. And just like a table saw the work surface (table) incorporates guides for making straight cuts. The Bladerunner additionally features a hold-down to keep your work from vibrating with the blade. This furthermore doubles as a safety guard.
You can make straight as well as angled cuts using the miter and fence quides, just like you would using a table saw. You also can make curved cuts just like on a band saw or scroll saw. You won’t have as much cutting power as you would with a table saw or band saw. These normally have 1 HP or larger motors. With the blade only connected at one end you may experience some “blade wander” on thick materials.